About Dean Asher

Dean Asher is a former copywriter with MBS. Though he no longer writes for us, he is still proud of having helped this blog continue to evolve as an industry-leading resource of news and original content.

Recent articles by Dean Asher

Customer service and the overall bookstore experience is a cornerstone to survival in a competitive market. That's why MBS Direct continually sends out customer service surveys to your students and families to continue to improve and ensure they stay happy.

But if you're operating your own store or are using another online bookstore, you may need to take matters into your own hands.

Cape Henry Collegiate is known for its academics, but if you ask Head of Middle School Amanda Hayes, families choose the Virginia independent school for its focus on knowing, valuing and challenging each of their pre-K through 12th grade students. With 900 students and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio, it's fairly easy to do.

So when their previous course material fulfillment provider struggled to provide the same level of attention and care to providing families with quality materials and service, the school knew it may be time to find a better fit.

As a private four-year liberal arts school in North Dakota, the University of Jamestown has long sought to provide students with a quality education. The college's approximately 1,000 full and part-time undergrad students attend classes in degrees ranging from education and accounting to engineering and biochemistry. Many go on to acquire their Education, Leadership, Clinical Counseling master's and Physical Therapy doctorates at the school's nearby Fargo campus. But the Jimmie Connection, University of Jamestown's retail store, knows what it's like to face stiff online competition.

Since 1928, Detroit Catholic Central (DCC) High School has given 9th–12th grade boys in the Michigan area a quality college preparatory education guided by their motto: Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge. In the present day, the school's 1,100 students get a more modern twist on their education — a 1:1 program. As an iPad® school, educational apps and digital course materials are an important part of the school's curriculum.

Finding the right course material fulfillment model for your program might seem like walking into an ice cream parlor: the choices can feel overwhelming. The trick? Know your flavors before going in.

Some options are better for your institution than others. From contract terms to freedom to flexibility, your choice in fulfillment solution will have a major effect on how your school operates, how your students acquire their course materials, how much they save and ultimately their learning outcomes.

The College of Idaho maximized savings for students and minimized staff headaches by switching to an online bookstore and keeping a physical store on campus. Students now have the right course materials and the cost-saving options they prefer, while the school can concentrate on the higher profit margin spirit gear.

If you've been exploring your options in lower-cost course materials, you've undoubtedly heard the phrase "Open Educational Resources" or "OER". You might assume you don't have the time or manpower to filter through the endless sea of content to find the right OER for your program, but what if you could easily find what you need from a library of well-respected journals and resources — drastically cutting costs to your students, getting more required course materials in their hands on time and improving learning outcomes?

It's easier than you think. Watch this video to learn how you can do it with MBS Direct.

When North Central University's longtime bookstore manager took a job elsewhere, the school took the opportunity to re-evaluate its store and how it served students' course material needs. The Christian co-ed Minnesota residential college found that its 1,300 students were facing some challenges, including long waits and an inefficient process within their on-campus bookstore.